Are black people inherently musical?

If there’s one thing black people love to do, other than eat fried chicken, it’s to lash out at stereotypes. When someone like a Don Imus suggests that all black female basketball players are nappy headed hoes, black people get pissed. And rightfully so, of course. Not only do such negative stereotypes sting on an emotional level, but they also help to perpetuate the idea of white supremacy.

But at the same time, of course it goes both ways; black people can’t stand negative stereotypes, but we’re willing to look the other way when stereotypes paint us in a more favorable light. For example, I’m not sure if the thing about the black man’s unit has ever been proven (though it was recently proven that Indian men have tiny johnsons), but you’d be hard pressed to find a black man who’d object to that one. I know I’m not in any rush to. Nullus.

There’s a similar situation when it comes to black people and music – the idea being that black people may not be the sharpest pencils in the box, but they do seem to be inherently rhythmic. As is the case with all stereotypes, there probably is a certain degree of truth to this: if black people aren’t genuinely better at music than white people, we probably are more adept at styles of music with strong rhythmic qualities, which are generally based on African forms of music anyway.

One thing I do find pretty questionable though is this idea that just because a person is black, it means they have impeccable taste in music. As I’ve mentioned before on this site, the only thing worse than a black man’s taste in black music is a black man’s taste in white music. The TIs at the major labels would beg to differ though. On the contrary, they seem to believe that any music that comes from the black communiy, especially the shittier parts of it, must contain elements of genius.

Take for example the mixtape scene. Obviously the idea here is that the kind of people who buy their music from Africans in subway stations have superior taste in music and are thus more apt to spot the next big thing. Never mind if it’s always some bullshit like “Chicken Noodle Soup.” It’s almost as if the TIs are using their own backwards ideas about black people to justify not investing as much in artist development for hip-hop acts…

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>”One thing I do find pretty questionable though is this idea that just because a person is black, it means they have impeccable taste in music.

^^^^^

You are living proof that this is obviously questionable.

landLORD

… black people are inherently better at EVERYTHING humans do …

Belize

But maybe I’m just being paranoid. What do you d-bags think?

^ I think You have too much time in hands, and u need to lay off the skeet-skeet tonic. Its corrupting ur blogging skills

AZ

Most stereotypes are based with some sort of truth, and aren’t completely factual, in this case maybe you should look at as majority rules…a majority of blacks are inherently musical.

Incilin

“Obviously the idea here is that the kind of people who buy their music from Africans in subway stations have superior taste in music and are thus more apt to spot the next big thing. Never mind if it’s always some bullshit like “Chicken Noodle Soup.””

- No it’s not, they usually want to buy guys like 50 Cent, D-Block, Dipset, or Papoose. And once they blow up they all hate on those same people. Mixtape niggas don’t never cop no chicken noodle soup.

thecollinb

Swing and a miss for Byron “Bol” Crawford

http://xxlmag.com Bol

>No it’s not, they usually want to buy guys like 50 Cent, D-Block, Dipset, or Papoose.

Um, my bad…

EReal

Yawwwnnnnn…

1 hunned.

http://www.myspace.com/thelowends FAT TONY

“One thing I do find pretty questionable though is this idea that just because a person is black, it means they have impeccable taste in music. As I’ve mentioned before on this site, the only thing worse than a black man’s taste in black music is a black man’s taste in white music.”

I kinda agree with this one. Loads of black people have shitty taste in mainstream “white” music. They just want to be diverse and open minded sometimes but generally their tastes turn out to be misguided and uninformed. Same goes for white folks into mainstream “white” music.

So first you’re listing stereotypes, then there’s some bullshit about TIs and mixtapes. What’s the point? You’re the blogging equivolent of Lupe Fiasco: a bunch of words strung together to make you seem intelligent but not a single point to be made…a fucking fiasco.

MAn, i swear to god this nigga is always talkin about Black Man this, Black Man that, n now he sayin shit like sterotype shelp White Supremecy. They do, but so do u fool!! u talkin about us like aren’t even one of us, i mean dont’ be so detached in ur writing. I respect a brotha who’s doin him, n making money, but come on man. “The only thing worse than a black man’s taste in black music is a black man’s taste in white music.” Shit like that just sounds like even though u too r a black man, u think ur better than the rest of us…

Tha Flow Of Time

Man**, Stereotypes** Supremacy**,

Tha Flow Of Time

yo!

winky-dinky-hoe cakes

but what if those rutgers chicks ARE nappy headed hoes? i question the idea that whats-his-name is perpetuating stereotypes because watch BET alot and there are a whole lot of nappy headed hoes. i’ve also seen that HBO docu on hookers and them some nappy headed hoes too. they just didn’t attend Rutgers.

chris

incidentally, as someone who grew up in the cracka ass cracka suburbs, how is your rythm/musical ability bol?

ARE BLACK PEOPLE INHERENTLY MUSICAL…I THINK SO. TAKE FOR EXAMPLE A WHITE OR A BLACK CHURCH CHOIR. WHICH WOULD YOU THINK WOULD OUT SING WHO?

yo mama

uz a foo! how can u compare!? i know music 1st hand. I am a music major. so i knwo what is up with music.. white music is dif. than black music.. but how can u even possibly think that black music is much better than white?? u are talking about white this, white that.. look at you.. black this, black that…

che

>TAKE FOR EXAMPLE A WHITE OR A BLACK CHURCH CHOIR. WHICH WOULD YOU THINK WOULD OUT SING WHO?

well if the black choir had ja rule and dmx in it and the white group had justin timberlake and chris martin..

you can’t generalize in such wide brush stokes, man.

swissmiss09

I hope that person i saw on the street wasnt really u…….im a nursing major and ur ass is unhealthy as fuc…..put the pot-roast down and hit the track bro! O yea and quit hatin all the time cuz it gets old.

http://www.myspace.com GILZ

CHE,
FIRST OFF DMX AND JA RULE ARENT EVEN SINGERS SO GET YOUR FACTS STRAIGHT BEFORE YOU START ARGUING, AND JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE IS HORRIBLE (TRYING TO SOUND LIKE MICHAEL JACKSON IN EVERY SONG) AND I NEVER EVEN HEARD OF CHRIS MARTIN. SO YOU CAN PUT THEM TWO UP AGAINST LETS SAY JOE AND BRYAN MCKNIGHT AND SEE HOW THEY MATCH UP. EVERY PERSON IN AMERICA WHETHER THEIR WHITE, BLACK OR WHATEVER WOULDNT BE ON YOUR SIDE ON THIS ONE
NICE TRY THO

Bobby J

I think watching black dudes blow all their money on rims and blood diamonds does more to perpetuate the whole “white supremacy” thing than anything don imus does.

The DJ Formerly Known as N-CREDIBLE

the rythm is in our soul and pulse…pause…

http://shaytheexec.blogspot.com Shay

Black people need to either condone stereotyping or not! How can you buy into rap records that call your own people ‘HO’ ‘NIGGA’ ETC,ETC AND be ‘SHOCKED’ when a white guy does it! (YEAH, he’s not the same color as you, but so what, You use it for yourself, and we don’t live in IRAQ where you can’t say what you want) I’m not saying he’s right, but I don’t think he should lose his job over this!

Major record labels buy into commercial hip hop…basically black hip hop with a white face – to achieve mass financial gain! I mean black people love hip hop,beat,dance and white people love white faces! Its a win win!

TI SUCKS

Shay aka A&R SuperStar

don

ARE BLACK PEOPLE INHERENTLY MUSICAL?

I guess anybody saying that wouldn’t be offended by somebody saying white people are smarter or arabs more aggressive. Since most Nobel prizes goes to white people and jews and most terrorists are arabs.

Carlito

>TAKE FOR EXAMPLE A WHITE OR A BLACK CHURCH CHOIR. WHICH WOULD YOU THINK WOULD OUT SING WHO?”

>well if the black choir had ja rule and dmx in it and the white group had justin timberlake and chris martin..

^^^^^^^

LMAO

xxxxl

lmao if u wanna try using ja rule and dmx in de black people choir…try dumbasses like kevin federline and…idk. eminem in the other one. why u trying to stack 2 rappers against 2 singers (who the HELL is chris martin)

http://www.hip-hop-anonymous.com Jay

Proof that even when Bol says something intelligent, 90% of his readers are fucking retarded.

Jaimie

I was reading the comments below and I do think black people do the most to exhalt white supremacy. Im a half white and half black female. I really feel ashamed when I see black people putting out a bad image. Bobby J is right. Black people don’t want to be oppressed but put out music vids of selling drugs, dirty looking women, and a look of greed? These men look like they’d treat women like shit. I just think that blacks should turn themselves around to be respected and stop opressing themselves.

Rob

As a white guy, I’d have to say this isn’t the time to be talking about the superiority of black music as hip hop sounds like it’s in a huge rut.

In the late 60s and 70s, white rock was the thing until it hit a dead end. Hip hop is dead. It all sounds so shitty and boring. My guess is that punk is ready for a comeback.

K-Lillz

First and foremost, landlord you speak shit. Us white people must do some stuff better, but then you could just say we’re equals now couldn’t we. Secondly, to what Bol says bout rhythm, if black people are indeed more rhythmic, and are great with rhythm in music i’d say european is better with say harmony and melody. Look at classical music for instance. its not beat driven like alot of black music, but more harmonious.

robin cook

it is also proven niggas gave the world AIDS!

greg

CRAWFORD BOL IS THE BIG FAT BLACK GUY WHO GREW UP AROUND WHITE PEOPLE. THEY CALL HIM BOY NIGGER AND SAMBO TO HIS FACE . THIS ISNT HIP HOP PLEASE GET A EX RAPPER TO BLOG JOE BUDDEN/ MASTER ACE / MC SHAN / CHUCK D REAL RAPPERS OR DJ/PRODUCERS THIS MID WEST FISH OUTTA WATER SUCKS.

Nick

I am white and I have recently been accused of being racist because I said in a discussion of slavery in the antebellum south, that the dances and rhythums used by slaves as a form of resistance against their oppressors ,are deeply rooted in numerous African cultures. In these cultures wild hard driving beats and “wild” dancing were common. These were used by slaves not only as a form of protest, but as fun and relaxation when they had an “opportunity” to sneak away from the brutality of their masters. In pointing out that these gatherings would have seemed extremely strange to the witness of any white and hence forth viewed as “demonic” or evil. Wild dancing and “hard driving music” was severly repressed the white master class and the slaves literally risked their lives participating in such activity. This analysis somehow got construed into me suggesting that black people are naturally rhytmic. What do you think? Am I a racist? If so how do we acknowledge this powerful force in the liberation efforts of slaves. I think the slaves understood that this music and form of dance was not only empowering but also a serious threat to the hegemony of their oppressors. Why them did they risk life and punishment and as often as possible participate in such activity?

Manute Bol

black people are now more racist than white people. funny how shit works.